Pivot connection.



PATENTEDJUNE 12,1906. F. H. RICHARDS;

PIVOT CONNECTION. APPLICATION FILED MAY 16,1899.

UNITED strains FRANCIS H. RICHARDS,

, PATENT OFFICE.

OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, 'IO AMERICAN A CORPORATION OF NEIV JERSEY.

TYPOGRAPHIC CORPORATION,

savor GQNNECTIQN;

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 12, 1906.

Application filed May 16,1899. Serial No. v17,o02.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Fnanors H. Rronanns,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pivot Connections, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to pivot connections, and especially to a key mechanism suitable for use in type-writers and analogous keyoperated machines, and it embodies an improved pivot connection for joining a key-. stem to a key-lever.

One of the main objects of my invention is; to provide an improved connection of this type in which there will be no superfluous parts, the preferred construction being one in which the key-stem and the key-lever are so constructed as to be capable of direct connection without the aid of intermediate or auxiliary fastening means, and in the best type of this connection notonly will the key-lever be a single piece, but the key-stem will also be a one-piece member and will be so fashioned as to cooperate properly with the keylever to maintain a pivotal two parts.

As I have stated, the preferred type of key-stem is that in which it is made in a single piece, and another important feature of my present improvements is an improved keystem having suitable holding-arms with hearing members for connection to the key-lever, the preferredconstruction being one in which the key-stern is formed from a sheet-metal blank bifurcated at one end and then turned or rolled longitudinally toform a parti-tubular stem, the lower end ofwhich has a pair of arms at least one of which should be resilient for the purpose of maintaining a proper connection with the key-lever when engaged therewith. In connection with such a keystem'an inserted key may be used, which may be simply slipped into and-frictionally held in the upper tubular end of thekey-stem, and a complete key-lever mechanismthus formed embodies but three pieces. ,viz the key-lever itself, the key-stem, and the inserted keyallof which. may be readily assembled on disassembled and anyone of which may be easily and cheaply replaced if worn or broken.

In the drawings accompanying and formconnection between theing part of this specification, Figure 1 is a sectional front elevation of a pivot connection embodving my present improvements, this view illustrating a key-stem and key-lever in operative relation with a suitable cover or casing. Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a sectional front elevation of the same, showing the holding-arms of the key-stem sprung apart to the positions which they assume during the making of the connection. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the key-stem blank which I prefer to employ. Fig. 5 is an enlargedtransverse section of the tubular portion of the key-stem, and Fig. 6 is an enlargedtransverse section of the lower portion of the stem, the section being taken in the line 6 6, Fig. 1.

Similar characters designate likeparts in all the figures of the drawings.

My present invention is embodied in any construction in which one of a pair of pivotally-connected members has two arms straddling the other member, at least one of which arms is resilient, and has a peripheral j ournalsurface in engagement with a bearing-surface of the other member; but in the preferred construction both of these arms will yield and will'be parts of a key-stem forming one member of a key-and-lever connection.

In the construction illustrated the key-stem is designated in a general way by S and the other member or key-lever of the connection by L, the keystem being of any suitable type, but having at its lower end a pair of arms 2 2, straddling the key-lever and s0 fashioned at their lower ends as to form rounded bearing members, such as 3 3, adapted to cooperate with a corresponding journal bearing or bearings in the key-lever. Here the key-lever L is intersected at both sides thereof by an opening ll, which forms a ournal hearing or bearings for thetwo bearing members 3 of the key-stem. These bearing members of the key-stem are preferably disposed within the sides of the stem and lie substantially parallel with each other, the parts being constructed and organized so that the bearing members 3 will lie close together, but within the sides of the key-lever, when the key-lever and the stem are connected; It is evident, however, that at least one of the arms 2 should be sufliciently resilient to permit it to be sprung away from the coacting arm 2 in order to permit the proper separation of the bearing members 3 when the key-stem is to be connected to the lever L by slipping the bearing members 3 of the arms 2 over the edge of the lever. This actionwill be facilitated by beveling the upper edge of the key-lever L, as shown at 5, to form a wedge-shaped portion the cam-faces of which will gradually, but effectively, spread the bearing members 3 3 before the latter snap into place, as shown in Figs. 3 and 1, respectively.

In order to obtain a light, stron durable, and cheap key-stem, it is desirable to form this part from sheet metal, and in Fig. 4 I have illustrated the blank from which it may be shaped. This blank, it will be noticed, is an elongated one, oblong at its upper end and then slightly tapering and narrowing to form a bifurcated lower end, the two arms 2 2 of which are stamped out at their extreme ends as rounded portions 3 3, which form, substantially, the bearin members of the completed ke -stem. At t e points 7 7, at opposite si es of each arm 2, portions of the stock are removed in order to facilitate the swaging up of the bearing memers 3 3, as indicated in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 6, from which it will be seen that each bearing member 3 is swaged up from the correspondin arm 2 by the displacement of the meta 'substantiall in the region of the neck or narrow portion etween the cut-away parts 7 7 of eacharm. When properly swaged up, the parts will present the appearance clearly illustrated in Figs. 1 and 6, from which it will be seen that the inner sides of these necks or swaged ortions form at 7 rounded bearing-surfaces etween the arms of the key-stem and are defined by arcs substantially concentric with the bearing-surfaces at the extreme ends of the arms.

1 Thus, while the extreme lower ends of said arms form journal-surfaces which engage the lower wall of the openin 4 in the key-lever, the j ournal-surfaces 7wi lcoo erate with the upper .wall of such opening an form with the outer ends of the arms substantially continuous rounded or circular bearing-surfaces.

The blank for the key-stem is intended to be turned or rolled longitudinally to bring theedges 8 8 0f the blank into contact, and thus form at the upper end of the key-stem a tubular member to which a key, such as that shown at K, may be attached in any proper manner, as by inserting into the upper en of the socket a snugly-fitting stem, such as 9, which will be held frictionally in place. Afterrolling the blank in the manner just described it is desirable that it be flattened at its lower end, as illustrated in the drawings,

in order to reduce the thickness of the keystem at the lower end thereof to adapt it for use in connection with any one of a series of key-levers lying side by side and substantially in j uxtaposition with one another. This flattening of the lower portion of the key-stem ma be effected in any suitable manner and wil not reduce the strength of the stem, as the of the key-stem will depend, of course, upon the thickness of the key-lever L, and the distance between the inner walls of the arms 2 2 after the key-stem is fully shaped should be approximately the same as the thickness of t 1e key-lever at the point of connection. By organizing the parts in this manner the said arms 2 2 are brought close up against the side Faces of the key-lever, the parts are braced and held more firmly in a common plane, and the inturned bearing-members 3 3 are brought more closely together and remain at all times, when connected to the key-lever, within the side walls of the latter.

many advantages over these or inarily employed for the same urpo'se, as there are no 'unneccessary parts, t e number of those employed being reduced to the least possible for the purpose, and all of them are capable of being assembled and disassembled by simply slipping the parts together.

I- aving described my invention, I claim- 1. The combination with a key-lever provided with a cylindrical pivot-opening, "of a key-stem having a pair of arms straddling the key-lever, one of said arms being resilient and one of said arms having/a'journal portion the extreme edges of which journal engaging with opposite sides of the said pivot-opening in the key-lever.

2. The combination with a key-lever provided with a cylindrical pivot-opening, of a key-stem having a pair of resilient arms straddling the key-lever, each of said arms having an inturned journal member whose extreme outer edge engages with op )osite sides of the pivot-opening in the keyever,- said journal members being swaged up substantially parallel with the body portions of the arms.

3. The combination with a key-lever having a cylindrically-walled opening and a beveled portion above said opening, of a keystem having a pair of arms straddling such beveled portion, said arms having disk-like journal portions the extreme edges of which are in engagement with the walls of the said pivot-opening in the key-lever and one of the arms being resilient.

4. The combination with a key-lever having a beveled portion, of a key-stem having a pair of arms straddling such beveled portion, said arms having disk-like journal portions the extreme ed es of which arein engagement with the wal s'of the said pivotopening in the key-lever.

5. The combination with a key-lever having a beveled portion and a journal-bearing 

